News
Bail applications by Bathiudeen’s wife, father-in-law, brother-in -law and broker rejected
By A.J.A. Abeynayake
The Colombo Magistrate’s Court yesterday rejected a bail application filed by the wife of MP Rishad Bathiudeen, his father-in-law, brother-in-law and a broker.
The Court ordered that Bathiudeen’s wife, K. Mohammed Shabdeen Aisha, father-in-law, Mohammed Shabdeen, brother-in-law, Shabdeen Ismeth and a broker, Ponniah Bandaram alias Shankar, who had trafficked the girl for domestic work be further remanded till Aug 23.
Colombo Additional Magistrate Rajindra Jayasuriya gave the order after considering the objections raised by Deputy Solicitor General Dileepa Peiris to the bail application on the grounds that the suspects might exert t influence on the witnesses if they were enlarged on bail.
The wife of MP Bathiudeen, his father-in-law and brother-in-law were arrested on 23 July over two incidents of alleged rape and sexual abuse.
The Police said that the wife and father-in-law of the MP and a broker had been arrested over the death of 16-year-old Jude Kumar Ishalini. The victim died while being employed at the residence of Bathiudeen in Colombo. The broker had introduced the child to the family.
A 22-year-old woman, one of the 11 women who served as domestic aides of Bathiudeens, has alleged that she was raped while serving at the official residence of then Minister Bathiudeen from 2015 to 2019.
The 44-year-old brother-in-law of MP Bathiudeen was identified as the suspect and arrested.
On 26 July, the Magistrate’s Court ordered all four suspects to be placed in remand custody until yesterday.
Deputy Solicitor General Dileepa Peiris informed the court that the prosecution suspected that the death of Ishalini was not suicide but murder.
The Indian Naval Ship (INS) Sahyadri which arrived at the Port of Colombo on a formal visit on 04 Apr 25, departed the island today (07 Apr). The Sri Lanka Navy bade customary farewell to the departing ship at the Port of Colombo, following naval traditions.
During the ship’s stay in Colombo, crew members of INS Sahyadri took part in several programmes organized by the Sri Lanka Navy, aimed at enhancing mutual cooperation. In addition, they also explored some tourist attractions in the country. Further, personnel of Sri Lanka Navy had the opportunity to visit INS Sahyadri, gaining insights into her operational capabilities.
Latest News
Advisory for severe lightning issued for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district
The Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre has issued an Advisory for Severe Lightning for the Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district.
The advisory issued at 02.00 p.m. today [07 April 2025] is valid for the period until 11.00 p.m. 07 April 2025
The public are warned that thundershowers accompanied by severe lightning are likely to occur at several places in for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambantota district. There may be temporary localized strong winds during thundershowers. General public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by lightning activity.
ACTION REQUIRED:
The Department of Meteorology advises that people should:
Seek shelter, preferably indoors and never under trees.
• Avoid open areas such as paddy fields, tea plantations and open water bodies during thunderstorms.
• Avoid using wired telephones and connected electric appliances during thunderstorms.
• Avoid using open vehicles, such as bicycles, tractors and boats etc.
• Beware of fallen trees and power lines.
• For emergency assistance contact the local disaster management authorities.
The report of the “Census of Population and Housing 2024,” conducted by the Department of Census and Statistics, was officially handed over to President Anura Kumara Disanayake this morning (07) at the Presidential Secretariat.
This preliminary report has been prepared based on island wide data collected between October and December 2024.
The report provides details on Sri Lanka’s population, its growth and the distribution of the population across districts.
The information gathered through the census is vital not only for the government but also for other institutions in formulating policies and development plans essential for the country’s progress. Significantly, for the first time in the history of census-collecting in Sri Lanka, data collection was carried out using tablet computers and user-friendly mobile devices.
The event was attended by Deputy Minister of Finance & Planning, Harshana Suriyapperuma, Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Secretary to the Ministry of Finance Mahinda Siriwardana, Director General of the Department of Census and Statistics D.D.G.A. Senevirathne and several other officials.
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